At least 95 people have died over heavy rains that triggered flooding and landslides in western Rwanda, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

From a video clip that was posted on Twitter by a Rwandan Broadcasting Agency, muddy water flowed swiftly down an inundated road and destroyed houses and now the authorities are searching for the ones trapped in their homes.
“Our main priority now is to reach every house that has been damaged to ensure we can rescue any person who may be trapped,” François Habitegeko, governor of Rwanda’s Western Province, told Reuters, adding that the death toll stood at 95.

According to the governor, some people had been rescued and taken to the hospital, however, the number was not mentioned.

The governor also added that the hardest-hit districts in his province were Rutsiro, with 26 dead, Nyabihu with 19, and 18 each in Rubavu and Ngororero.

The rain started at about 6 p.m. (1600 GMT) on Tuesday and the River Sebeya had burst its banks.

“The soil was already soaked from the previous days of rain, which caused landslides that closed roads,” he said.
The Rwanda Meteorology Agency has forecast rainfall above the average in May for the East African nation.

By Jane Kibathi.